Barangay certificates, cedulas not valid for voter registration – Comelec

An elderly woman is assisted as she undergoes biometric procedure at a voters registration facility in Binondo, Manila just days before the deadline of poll regristration. (Photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / INQUIRER.net) MANILA, Philippines — Barangay certificates and cedulas will not be accepted as proof of identity for voter registration, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia said. The voter registration period will run from Nov. 10 to July 30, 2027, allowing Filipinos to register, transfer their registration or reactivate their voter status. READ: Comelec reopens voter registration in November for 2028 elections Garcia reminded the public to use other valid identification documents when applying for voter registration. “We will no longer accept barangay certification as evidence of a person’s identity in the place where they are registering,” he said in an ambush interview on Thursday, Nov. 5. Garcia urged applicants to use government-issued identification documents, such as passports, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearances, police clearances, the National ID, postal IDs and driver’s licenses. The commission also accepts library cards, student IDs and senior citizen IDs, provided these bear the applicant’s name, photograph and address. Meanwhile, the Comelec earlier announced on its Facebook page that it also accepts the electronic Philippine Identification (e-PhilID) when presented through the eGov app. According to Garcia, the commission had found cases in which barangay officials issued residency certificates to individuals who were not actual residents of their barangays. “We have found that some individuals used these [documents], which we are investigating and which are now the subject of cases before the Comelec,” he said. “We found that some barangay officials, in particular, issued barangay certifications to individuals who were not actually residents of their barangays,” he noted. The commission is targeting at least 3 million additional registered voters before the 2028 national and local elections, bringing the total to 74 million from the current 71 million. “Currently, we have 71 million registered voters, and our plan is to add 3 million, bringing the total to 74 million voters by 2028,” the poll chief said. /apl The post Barangay certificates, cedulas not valid for voter registration – Comelec appeared first on Inquirer.net .